Metallic tray



(No Mod l.)

TAYLO V Memllig Tray. O. 71

ented Ill esses llNTTED STATES PATENT @EETQE.

JAMES A. TAYLOR, on EAST HAMBURG, NEW YORK.

METALLIC TRAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,711, dated February15, 1881. Application filed January 7, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. TAYLOR, of East Hamburg, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementson a Metallic Tray; and I do hereby declare that the following description of my saidinvention, taken in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings, forms a full, clear, and exact specification, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use thesam'e. I

This invention has general reference to metallic trays for holding fruit-cans while. being dipped and it consists, essentially in the combination therewith of a pair of removable handles to enable the handling of the said trays and at the same time to hold downthe cans, all as hereinafter more fully described, and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings already referred to, and which serve to illustrate my said invention more fully, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a filled tray provided with my removable lockin g handles. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, and Fig. 3 a perspective view of the handles and their frame.

Like parts are designated by corresponding letters of reference in all the figures.

A in these drawings designates the usual metallic tray used in fruit-canning establishments for dipping the cans into the sirnp-bath. This tray is composed of a rectangular frame or band, A, A, A and A, longitudinal slats O O, and transverse slats D, said slats being formed into the shape of the letter U and riveted or otherwise secured to the band, and the cross-slats to the longitudinal slats (at their points of intersection) in any well-known manner. These trays as now made have stationary handles, by which they are carried about, or no handles at all, and they are filled with a certain number of fruit-cans and then dipped into the sirup-bath. Owing to the fact that these cans are specifically lighter than the sirup it is a very difficult matter to submerge them in the sirup, (for filling;) and to overcome this difficulty and to otherwise facilitate the bathing and handling of the cans 1 provide this tray with a pair of removable lockin g handles, as shown in detail in Fig. 3, said handles consisting of a rectangular frame composed of side rails, F F, and end rails, F F, the respective sizes of which relative to that of the frame A will hereinafter be referred to. To one end of this frame I permanently secure a U-shaped frame, E, having its parallel members e e contracted at their lower end at I and joined together by a tongue, J. To the other end of said frame I secure a frame, E, constructed in precisely the same manner as the frame E, except that it is not permanently fixed to the frame F, but pivoted thereto at H, so'as to enable said frame E to swing around its fulcrums or pivots a certain distance. To the rails F F, I furthermore pivot, at L, a U- shaped frame, K, having enlargements or curves M at the junction, of the parallel members with their cross member.

The length of the frame F is such as to fit the outside of the band A, but its width is so much narrower that when said frame F, with its handles E, is fixedto said frame A the rails F F will pass about midway over the fruitcans B placed into the tray, pressing upon them with sufficient force to retain them in proper position.

As already described, the tray has longitudinal rails or slats O C bent upward and secured to the band A on the ends, and the tongues J J are so arranged as to pass between the vertical parts of the slats G 0.

It will now be readily observed that by pushing the tongue J under the rail part A, between the slats G O, and then bringing the frame E into the position shown in Fig. 3, the tongue J may be readily passed over the rail part A, when, by swinging the frame E into a vertical position, said tongue J will catch underneath said rail part A, and thereby hold the frame F, with its accessories, to the tray A. To secure these parts in this position the frame K is swung over into the position shown in Fig. 1, where the enlarged or curved parts M will bear against the edges of the members 6 c of the frame E, and thereby lock the latter in position and prevent the removal of the handles E E and frame F from the said tray.

It will now be further observed that when said handles are in the locked position described the rails F F bear or rest upon the tops of all the cans B in the tray, and thereby prevent their floating when the whole tray is immersed into the sirup-vat.

By constructing the tray with its handles substantially in the manner described I derive advantages which cannot well be obtained by any other trayused for an analogous purpose- VlZ':

By making the handles removable I am enabled to place a number of the trays upon the trucks usually employed in canning establishments, which trucks are afterward placed into the so-called processing-boilers. I need, furthermore, but one set of handles for a number of trays, and derive other obvious advantages.

Instead of attaching the handles E E to the frame or band F, so as to make one of the handles movable, I may attach the rails F F removably to the frames E E. In fact, I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to the precise construction shown and described of said handles and their frame, because I am aware that the details thereof may be varied in many ways and yet obtain results similar to or identical with those attained by the construction specified. So may catches or other locking devices be substituted for the U-shaped frame K without changing the nature of my invention, all such devices and modifications being but mechanical equivalents thereof, and therefore part of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure to me by Letters Patent ot' the United States- 1. A dipping-tray having removable handles, as and for the object specified.

2. A dipping-tray having removable locking handles, as described.

3. A dipping'tray having removable looking handles and removable cross bars over the cans to hold them down in said tray, as stated.

4. A dipping-tray having removable crossbars over the cans to hold them down in said tray, as set forth.

5. A dipping-tray having means, substantially as described, for locking the cans while being dipped, substantially as described.

6. A dippin g-trayhavin g removable handles attached to a frame, as specified.

7. In dipping-trays, removable handles at tachcd to a frame having a locking device for said handles and frame, as stated.

8. The dipping-tray hereinbefore described, in combination with a pair of handles one of which is fixed and the other pivoted to a frame, said pivoted handle being provided with a locking device, as specified.

9. The combination, with the frame A, of the frame F, fixed handle E, with the tongue J, and pivoted frame E, with the tongue J, as and for the object specified.

it). The combination, substantially as described, with the frame A, of the frame F, handle E, with its tongue J, handle E, with its tongue J,and the pivoted locking-frame K, the Whole being constructed for attachment to and to operate in conjunction with said frame A and the cans B thereon in a manner as and for the object specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J. A. TAYLOR.

Attest:

MICHAEL J. STARK, FRANK Y. CHAPMAN. 

